On my first visit to the Philip Stein Singapore Flagship Store on the third level, ION Orchard, Singapore.

AT 84 SQM. it is the biggest of its kind in Asia. The Philip Stein Flagship Store that opened on the third level of ION Orchard in late January 2013 proves that sometimes, size does matter.

I paid it a visit for the first time in early February and marveled at the extent of merchandise on offer. It is the flagship after all. Framed by the entrance and bathed in warm lights, the vitrine that houses the brand’s automatic timepieces lured me in. I quickly inspected the lineup, in search of the then “very first and only one of its kind” automatic movement Philip Stein that I had purchased from The Hour Glass at Takashimaya over a year ago.

Wearing the then “first ever and one and only” automatic movement Philip Stein in Singapore, purchased at The Hour Glass, Takashimaya, Orchard Road, Singapore.

The Entrance, Philip Stein Flagship Store, ION Orchard, Singapore

The vitrine of automatic movement timepieces

I found it. But my attention was soon snatched by this handsome beauty that is the All–Titanium Chronograph (13TI–WCG–TSS) from the Prestige Collection. I held it in my hand and was right there and then ready to plead guilty to the charge of lust. And David Guetta and Sia starting to play incessantly in my head didn’t help to appease the brewing, simmering passion for the tick-tocker that had since stapped itself on to my left wrist.

The All–Titanium Chronograph (13TI–WCG–TSS) from the Prestige Collection

The titanium timepiece is humongous beside my Signature Large!

The thing about titanium timepieces is that even with their heft, they are surprisingly lightweight!

While I waited for my beating heart to be still, I glanced around me and found that the store offers the brands other well-being products, like the sleep bracelet and the wine wand. And to my right, it didn’t escape me that they have expanded to include more jewelry pieces.

I just had to admire this beauty against the backdrop of Philip Stein’s new jewelry line.

If you look closely, you shall see that the automatic timepieces boast Swiss Made movements!

On my second visit to the store

Philip Stein has excellent customer service! I feel like a special guest at someone’s house.

Their paper bag is in pristine white.

Which is a sharp contrast to the Hublot paper bag!

I initially went there to have a couple of wristwatches serviced. (Their customer service has always been excellent, even in the Philippines where I purchased the very first one I’ve ever owned.) But I ended up leaving with a holistic experience that can only come from the promise of an overall ENHANCED QUALITY OF LIFE – something that has been shared with my family and with some of my closest friends who I have influenced to give Philip Stein a try.

Two Philip Stein Signature Large timepieces

The very first Philip Stein I ever did buy!

“Arms raised in a V!” – a Philip Stein and a Technomarine!

“Ebony and ivory, live together in perfect harmony…” – a Philip Stein and a TW Steel!

Green with envy – a Philip Stein and a Nixon.

One from Italia, one from Chicago – a Philip Stein and a Morellato!

Three time zones on my wrist. Or are they? One for the Philippines, one for Singapore, and one for Shanghai.

One Signature Large ready to be packed to go!

An Oversized Signature Chronograph. This one is Brother’s.

Philip Stein has a unique quick strap release mechanism that allows for the immediate interchangeability of straps without the need for any tools.

Mine and Brother’s

The Limited Edition Oprah 25th Anniversary Wristwatch!

The Oprah and the eNTeNG on our coffee table with the stone inlay.

Worn with a yellow string bracelet

Worn with a stainless steel bracelet

In the Philippines, one of the authorized agents for Philip Stein is Adora in Greenbelt 5. I’ve bought a number of straps from them.

My Signature Large has the Art Deco feel that I’ve always loved. It’s right at home with my Tissot Heritage Prince I’s.

I purchased the stainless steel bracelet separately for when I want to go with an all-metal look.

I debuted my GLYCINE Incursore on a trip to Universal Studios Singapore on 22 January 2012.

AT THE recent HUBLOT event, the guy who assisted me, Kelvin, Senior Sales Executive of The Hour Glass at their Tang Plaza branch, made a very astute observation as to the wristwatch I was wearing. You see, I made a conscious effort to wear a brand that their store carries.

“That’s a GLYCINE, right? But it doesn’t have its original leather strap.”

GLYCINE, fresh from The Hour Glass

I really adore the crown detail on the crown. Viewed a different way, it could very well be my initial – “E” for eNTeNG.

I dress up this watch with leather bracelets. Here, I stacked it up with a FOSSIL double–tour skinny leather bracelet. I took this shot on board the Circle Line on my way to a dinner at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands.

I brandished my timepiece as I launched to the story behind the change from the original deep dark brown leather strap to an all–stainless steel look. The humidity in the Lion City could be unforgiving. So as to preserve the original leather, I went on a frantic search for a suitable replacement – only a stainless steel bracelet would do. Soon enough, I realized one thing – it is quite hard to look for something 24 mm in size, that doesn’t have the hollow voluminousness of tin can, and the ubiquitous look of Seiko. (No offense meant to Seiko, as I do own several pieces from their Kinetic range. It was just not the look I was going for.)

My search that covered the stretch of Bras Basah, all the way to the City Hall Area, and then to Raffles, culminated at ION on Orchard where I chanced upon one store that carries wristwatches from Denmark, pieces that exude “Scandinavian coolness and simplicity”.

I snapped up the one in really chunky, solid stainless steel that looked so cool and so simple, all the branding was on the timepiece’s 45–mm face and caseback – nowhere in the bracelet. I thought to myself, all the more perfect for it to go incognito while attached to my GLYCINE. And it is in the exact size I needed – 24 mm – not 22 that still makes the watch dangle somehow and certainly not 20 that calls attention to improvisation that should’ve been given more than just second thoughts.

I think I got props from Kelvin for my design and comfort aesthetic. Though I do know that should I just want to satisfy my knack for contingencies, I could just go back to The Hour Glass and stock up on original GLYCINE leather straps I could place on order.

Here is the exact same GLYCINE Incursore, decked with an all–stainless steel bracelet of Scandinavian provenance – Denmark, by way of Copenhagen, to be exact.

A closer look at a somewhat transformed tick–tocker

I love how solid the bracelet links look and feel. It doesn’t hurt that they do remind me of chocolate bars. Haha!

The bracelet locks in place with a push–button clasp on a double deployant buckle.

The bracelet links are as beautiful at the back, here perfectly complementing the exhibition caseback.

See what I mean? It fits at a comfortably snug 24 mm.

I think that one of the best things about wristwatches nowadays is that it is easier to change straps. And with the sound of the click that locks the lugs in place, a “new look” is heralded. I think Philip Stein saw the huge potential of this feature when they came out with their wristwatches that not only have limitless options in straps – in terms of materials, textures, and colors – but also the ease of a spring mechanism to release or lock them in place.

Philip Stein Signature Large with its original lizard leather strap.

The craze over Technomarine, very early on, was warranted. All you had to do was look at all the rubber/jelly straps on offer and you knew you wanted to have all of them.

Technomarine Apnea in red

Here is the same watch with a black strap.

Technomarine Raft Chronograph with a yellow face, in all–black

By the colors of the Italian flag

The same watch with the colors mixed and matched

The Technomarine Raft Chronograph, now in all–yellow

The exact same Raft, now really in all–yellow

Another one of my wristwatches that I’ve loved “playing” with is this nine–year–old Guess watch with an Art Deco face. I got it for a steal at ROSS in Folsom, California.

It originally came with a really supple black leather strap. But you know me, soon enough I was looking for an all–stainless bracelet. And I knew exactly what I wanted – mesh! Here is my feeble attempt at an “editorial” spread.

I really love the very Art Deco face. Well, hello gorgeous!

And at the HUBLOT Pop Up Store that day, I couldn’t be reminded any better by the wide array of choices for straps that could breathe life to that oft–heard expression, “like a kid in a candy store.”

I’M NOT resorting to self-deprecating humor whenever I claim that I don’t think I photograph well. I really don’t. I know of some whose faces know no angles. I’m not one of them. So clearly I need someone who can go manual with his or her camera, play with the aperture and shutter settings, and snap an image of my likeness that won’t be hazardous to be beheld by the human eye.

Just that. I’m not going for someone who would capture me bathed in the light of the hot Singaporean sun, suffused with an ethereal glow reminiscent of subjects in medieval art. Just someone who would render my image fit for human visual consumption.

One such photographer – or photography enthusiast, as I love to refer to them – is Adam, both a trusted friend and formerly an engineer in the team I managed in the Philippines. In this blog, I’ve referred to him in previous posts as The Tycoon. He has also moved here in Singapore but is part of a group different from mine. He took this shot of me at the Soccer Carnival a couple of weeks back and I’m loving it.

ONE OF the errands I run that I really schedule is when I go have my wristwatches serviced. On this last one, I bumped into Technomarine’s latest endorser, Sen. Cheez Escudero. Well, at least his huge poster by the entrance of the brand’s flagship store at Greenbelt 3. I couldn’t resist having my photo taken with him. Oh I mean, it.

Sen. Cheez Escudero as the new brand ambassador of Technomarine in the Philippines

Had my photo taken while I waited for my Technomarine Apnea.

Aside from the cleaning and the battery replacement, my Apnea got treated to a brand new strap in yellow!

I always feel at home in wristwatch stores that I would almost always strike up a conversation with other shoppers. As I waited for one of two Technomarines remaining in my collection, I made a fast friend in an Ayala Land Property Consultant who just had put his name on a wait list for a certain strap. Of course, I shamelessly asked to snap photos of his Technomarine TMX (I think that’s what the model is called).

My new friend's Technomarine TMX. Nice!

He was so kind and gamely posed when I asked for this shot.

Later went to Muji to get presents.

And Healthy Options is a requisite stop! Mama has favorite cookies that can only be found here.

(Yeah, I know – I think I could even hear Therese’s thought bubble from the West Coast – where are the food posts? I’m having serious backlog. So this is what my planners call a backlog. Hahaha! I have a lot that I have put on the back burner. I’m going to get around posting them here before I pack and leave this coming weekend. For now, a quick post about my haircut!)

Ready for an almost-closeup in a 199-peso surplus shop top, deconstructed Levi's jeans from my brother, a pair of low-cut Chucks, and a red Technomarine.

MY KOREAN hairstylist didn’t have earphones on, and clearly, he wasn’t moving to the beat of what was blasting from the speakers. It was Trisha Yearwood’s “How Do I Live?” (Had my stylist been imbibing the powerful vocals from this country singer’s pipes, the horror of how my haircut would’ve turned out turned me into the whitest shade of pale right there in my seat. I don’t think I’d be able to get away with cupcake bangs. Hahaha!)

Thankfully, I could tell that he, my Korean hairstylist, was moving to the beat in his head. As if exhibiting his adeptness with a pistol, he would swivel the two crossed pivoting blades in his hands and make artistic, almost rhythmic cuts here and there. A step back, a microsecond of stare and thought, another cut. I would close my eyes when I feared the blades would make contact with my cornea.

But I came out of it unscathed. And so happy – I mean, so “beyond” – over my shorter, sleeker-kinda-disheveled look.

FRIENDSHIP CAME back home for the holidays. Just really a few days, to be able to spend Christmas eve with her family. By the time this gets posted, she will have been about 30,000 feet up in the air, on a flight back to be with the Merlion. She’ll be welcoming the new year there.

In between those days, she managed to invite me and Brother to dinner at their brand new ultra-modern home. The invitation was actually first extended over lunch at Cibo, on the eve of this year’s presidential elections. Knowing Friendship and her family, I wasn’t the least surprised that seven months later, the invitation still stood.

Brooklyn Pizza at Town delivered the night’s dinner – pizza, pasta, and lots of chicken wings. Home-cooked goodness was courtesy of Friendship’s dad’s crispy pata (crispy trotter) that came with a special dipping sauce. And of course, steamed rice that I myself asked for.

I couldn’t devote my concentration on the food as I was in awe of the house – from the all-white façade, the floor-to-ceiling glass panels that surround the house on both levels, the staircase, and the all-white interiors contrasted only with accents of dark wood and touches of chrome. But for me, the best part that demanded my attention – quite a feat as it meant pulling me away from pasta – was the kitchen! I swear, theirs is a kitchen FoodNetwork TV show dreams are made of.

The only other things somewhat successful at distracting me from my fascination with the kitchen were the array of desserts Friendship and her family spread out. There were cookies from Ju.D’s by Ju.D La’O of Greenmeadows, a frozen tiramisu cake, a buko pandan ice cream from Pampanga, and a really moist chocolate cake from Cielin’s.

The simple yet elegant place setting

My plate. This was just my first helping!

Chocolate Cake from Cielin's

As traditions would have it, I got my own box of Ju.D's scrumptious chewy chewkies. I could finish this whole box. And I almost did!

Hands down, one of the best cookies I have ever tasted!

One of the many drink options made available to us by Friendship.

The Starbucks tea was actually full loose leaf tea that came elegantly packaged in a mesh pouch like this.

One thing that Friendship, her sister and I share is a passion for wristwatches!

Friendship's new Technomarine Cruise!

So lovin' the ceramic feel and look of this ToyWatch wristwatch!

One thing I like about Friendship's sister's new ToyWatch is that it is the exact same one used by Sandra Bullock's character in her Oscar-winning role in "The Blind Side".

A little effort to wrap happiness in a small box... to make someone happy.

SOMEONE REALLY important to me deserves the best gift I could give – the gift of time. My time. (I’m surprised I’ve managed to keep a straight face while writing that opening line. The cliché wasn’t seeping at all. It was gushing.)

But seriously, you will know just how much I care about you the moment I give you a wristwatch. Of course I espouse the concept of giving my time, of “being there” for someone. This is something that has been inculcated in me, in part, by an essay I read in Reader’s Digest as a kid. But just the same, I also believe that it wouldn’t hurt to give special people in our lives a tangible reminder of that commitment. And it doesn’t matter what brand because if there’s anything at all that makes a gift – or a hand-me-down – really thoughtful, it is that it is something the recipient will really appreciate.

Through the years I’ve amassed a sizeable – no, just ‘decent’ – loot of wristwatches. And through the years, I’ve let go of a lot of them to new owners who were/are quite special to me. And back in the day when “Wish Upon an eNTeNG” was still a tradition, I’ve given away those that I knew were the most fervent desires of some people.

Here’s a look back on timepieces that have, at different points in time, found themselves ticking away strapped on my wrist. Then, on other people’s. I’m throwing in snapshots of some that were not mine, but caught my fancy. Here’s to time and to sharing it with those that we do love and care about the most!

Two Philip Steins – Green Lantern's and eNTeNG's.

Two Technomarines – Bom's and eNTeNG's.

Two Tag Heuers – IronMan's and eNTeNGs – and a Technomarine!

Swiss Army and Tag Heuer

Presents from Italy! Chocolates and a Morellato all-stainless steel Master wristwatch from Brother!

A really beautiful face for a wristwatch!

Philip Stein and Morellato Master formed as if "arms raised in a 'V'"... as Eddie Vedder would say.

Piled 'em up!

Another pile! From this group, two had gone to Superman, one to my brother, one to a photograher-friend, and one to Green Lantern.

Four in a row – my Philip Stein and Technomarine with The Tycoon's Tag Heuer and IronMan's Kenneth Cole.